Below is the letter written home from a soldier right before the
War began.
Camp Kelly, San Antonio
June 18, 1917
Dear Bro and Sis!
Recd your welcome letter & will now take the time to ans. How
is everything on the farm? I am feeling fine & dandy. We are
getting along fine and dandy but the weather is pretty hot at times.
I'm as brown as an indian, look more like a mexican than anything
else. They are getting this camp in better shape all the time. They
just completed the YMCA building & I guess they are going to build
barracks for five or six thousand men. I guess they are going to get
ready for the drafted men. They tell us that we are going to be
shipped out before long. At first they told us we were going to
Dayton, Ohio & now they tell us we are under sealed orders & there's
no telling where we go. We won't know until we get on the train &
get started. I don't care much where they send us but I do wish they
would pay us. I've only got $4.50 from the government since I joined
the army. I don't know if they ever intend to pay us or not. It sure
is tough when a fellow can't have a little spending money once in a
while. All I got to spend is canteen checks & they are only good
here at the camp. I had Polly send me some stamps so I could write
home once in a while.
You ask me if I had a ride in an aeroplane, no I haven't & I
don't suppose I'll get one for several days but I'm going to go up
the first chance I get. Believe me they sure do give some of the
new fellows a ride. They take them up about 5 thousand feet & then
they loop the loop 5 or 6 times & dive right straight down till
they get about two hundred feet from the ground. They claim that
after a fellow does that three or four times, he don't need any
cascaret.*
Some of the fellows think we stand a pretty good show of going
to France some time next fall. I don't know how I'd like that. If I
was ___ we would get over there and back again (this section is
unreadable)______ their torpedoes. That would not be real healthy
for us to tackle it. One thing I know for sure is if they say go,
we sure will have to go. I've been thinking for a half hour what to
write & I can't think of anything so I guess I'll close. Be sure
and answer soon.
Fred
* cascaret was a laxative at that time
Fred did get his ride on an aeroplane and sent a picture home. To
see it, follow the link at the bottom of the page.
Homer McClellan Sidney McClure
Roy Mitchell (deceased) Harry Edison
Walter Parmele Roland Roe
Lt. Elzy Reynolds Lt. Warren Horney
Harold Wonderlin Lyman Canady
John Dougherty Ralph Blair
Harold Walden W.F. Cotner
Henry Martin Verne Bradford
Emmett Lain Ray Casper
James Getty Otis Phillips
Floyd Arnold Earl Sticklen
Oren Phillips Frank Gomien
Henry Burton James R. McIntosh
John Brokate Otis Hamilton
Arnold Winterland Elton Bane
Joe Brown Vernon Moore
Allen Helm Pete Lorig
Harold Roe Jacob Helmers
Harry Schleeter George Schuler
James Thompson Roger Blumenshine
Homer Munster Earl Thompson
Jesse Morris Bruce Greenlee
Bertram Stretch Hartzell Langstaff
Carroll Williams William McHatton
Clarence Hobbs Fred Lorig
Robert Clark W.A. Lewis
Harrison Hobbs Alva Ulmer (deceased)
Stefano Alfano Earnest Betsburg